It’s not going away,

This quiet anxiety.

I don’t show it in public,

Only private conversations.

The confusion remains

As the gauntlet is laid.

~

I woke up scared today.

~

Every night I sleep,

Is another sabbatical.

The words I hear daily,

Are frightening and brutal.

I keep imagining some

Silent solution soon.

~

I woke up scared today

~

The media leaves me 

At a loss. I am so consumed

By what is our reality

Anymore, are we free?

We’re arguing free speech

Today, I can’t fathom the loss.

~

I woke up scared today,

~

Confusion appears to play

At the heart of all our lives.

~

I woke up scared today.